1. Technical Field
The present device relates generally to a reusable or confectionery drinking straw whose novelty involves the sensory effects created by the number, size, shape, or placement of apertures, and the user's ability to modify the effects by manipulation of the device.
2. Background Information
There have been many attempts to develop novel ways to imbibe liquids with a drinking straw. Drinking straws have in the past been sold separately from the container, or they are attached to, and purchased with, a beverage container.
In their simplest configuration, drinking straws are freestanding, simple vertical tubes. Over the years, there have been many modifications to the simple vertical tube. In two such modifications found in prior art, Katsukawa (U.S. Pat No.6,585,170 B2) and Mandell (U.S. Pat. No.5,160,087), use a visual element, a heart-shaped design, to illustrate their inventive concept. Taylor (US 2006/0169791 A1) proposes a drinking straw device that is a tube that is partially edible. This prior art discloses a method of manufacture to combine an outer layer of liquid resistant paper wrapper with an inner layer of edible material, such as flavored food, medicine, or candy. The first and second end mouthpieces of Taylor are identical. That is, the inventive concept of the manufacture of the device is tubular from beginning to end to allow “a small number of components which can be manufactured economically in volume resulting in a relatively low unit cost” Taylor. Another such example is the invention of Lee (U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,912). Lee modifies the freestanding, simple vertical tube by creating a device that actually prevents the flow of liquid to the mouth of the user. Lee uses a valve for opening and closing the straw. He creates a device having a totally internal valve that is capable “of adjusting the flow rate of the beverage being spouted through the straw while keeping the taste and aroma of the beverage, preventing foreign matters from being introduced into the container, and preventing the beverage from being unintentionally spouted from the container due to an impact applied to the container.” While these inventions serve their respective purposes for mass production and low cost, none creates a reusable or confectionery device that allows the user to create a personalized stream of liquid to enter the mouth in a manner that is particularized to the sensory desires of the user through the use of a regulator that modifies the location or the sensation of the flow of the liquid thatpasses through the mouthpiece. Nor is there an objective in Katsukawa, Lee, Mandell, or Taylor of using the mouthpiece of the drinking straw in combination with other elements of the drinking straw, such as the size, number, shape, and placement of mouthpiece apertures, and the shape of the mouthpiece, the straw cap, or the bore In more complex configurations, drinking straws are freestanding, ornamental straws that spiral, loop, or bend in ways that draw the user's attention to the flow of the contents through the straw as the beverage is sipped. The ornamental configurations of drinking straws currently available, such as the heart shape of Katsukawa, may be seen as attempts to improve the passive entertainment value of the straw to the user, while creating a method of manufacturing. However, the prior art of Mandrell represents a novel approach to the entertainment value of drinking straws. The device's inventive concept is to foster teamwork, and therefore, requires at least two persons to operate the device. Mandell does not work, then, with use by one person since individualism is not the objective. Therefore, there remains a need for a drinking straw that is freestanding (or capable of use independently) with a more active entertainment value, and where a single user has variable control over the sensual (i.e., visual, tactile, taste, and smell) drinking experience as he or she uses the straw.
In other configurations, a straw with a movable extension, usually made of plastic, is built into the cap of a beverage container. The user pulls up the movable extension of the straw from its horizontal position on the cap of the container, and extracts the contents. The straw is stored by replacing the movable extension of the straw back into its horizontal position on the cap of the container.
In yet other configurations, the drinking straw is purchased with the container, but is removable from the container The container is designed to allow the straw to fit through a hole in the lid of the container This straw remains in a near vertical position when in use or in storage. In some of these configurations, the straw has a removable cap molded around a base of the straw that can fit over the straw. The removable cap for the straw is designed to snap onto the straw when the straw is not in use, so as to keep the straw clean. There is a need, however, to improve the functionality of the removable cap, i.e., for a removable cap that also functions as a supplemental straw appurtenance. By “supplemental straw appurtenance,” it is meant that the removable cap is a physical extension of the drinking straw in functionality, in that the cap, by user preference, is a part of the device to extract the contents from a container in a novel and unique stream of liquid to the mouth of the user.
As with all drinking straws, the drinking straw device of the current invention can be used to imbibe the contents of a beverage container from either end of the straw. While all drinking straws can be used to imbibe the contents of a beverage container from either end of the straw, not all inventive concepts of drinking straws allow the contents to be sent to the mouth from either end of the straw. The prior art of del Fabro (U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,511) is illustrative of an inventive concept that allows the liquid contents in the drinking straw to be sent to the mouth from either end of the straw. Del Fabro creates a drinking straw with a floatation element sandwiched between two open tubes, allowing the device to “extend upwardly . . . a distance sufficient to permit normal usage.” Either end of the device may be used as the mouthpiece without compromising the inventive concept. On the other hand, the straw device of Efremkin (U.S. Pat. No. 8,025,242 B2) is a drinking straw device that takes in liquid from a container only from a pre-determined depth (5-15 mm) from the top of the liquid, so as to have minimal negative biological effects. The inventive concept of Efremkin, then, allows the use of only one end of the device as a mouthpiece, rather than the use of both ends as mouthpieces. The distal end of the Efremkin device comprises multiple apertures. But to achieve Efremkin's inventive concept, the multiple apertures must remain submerged in the liquid when in use, and the liquid must remain undisturbed to ensure that intake is from a predetermined depth from the top of the liquid. Unlike the Efremkin device, however, the current invention allows either end of the drinking straw device to be used. The end of the straw with multiple apertures can be used to deliver a novel stream of liquid to the mouth of the user when the apertures are placed in the mouth. Alternatively, when an end of the drinking straw device of the current invention with multiple apertures or with an enlarged end is placed in the beverage, the straw also can be an excellent mechanism for creating added turbulence for better stirring of the beverage—a functionality that is not available with Efremkin's inventive concept.
The drinking straw device of the current invention is designed for a sustainable environment. Currently, the majority of commercially available drinking straws are ubiquitous, mass produced straight tubes that are marketed for limited or one time use., and are discarded at the end of their use. There is a need for a drinking straw concept that will encourage multiple reuse through an improvement in functionality, i.e., through improvements in the active entertainment value of the device that can be altered at the whim or desire of the user over multiple uses. That is, the current invention is constructed for multiple uses (reusable), and is manufactured of a reusable material such as flexible tubing, hard or soft plastic, or other resins, stainless steel, composite material, sterling silver, or any other suitable renewable composite or natural material. It is anticipated that the device will be cleaned by the purchaser or consumer in a dishwasher or by hand. Furthermore, it's price point for manufacture would allow it to be personalized to the sensory preference of the user. In other words, the current invention requires a somewhat higher price point than most commercialized straws on the market which are produced for mass consumption without regard for, or the capability for, modifying the drinking experience to the desires of the user while the drinking straw is in use. The current inventive concept advances environmental sustainability in that it ensures that each drinking straw in use has greater longevity in reuse, and advances the use of the drinking straw as a fourth piece of cutlery, thereby joining the ranks of the knife, fork, and spoon.
It is known that the intensity of the flow of liquid to the mouth of the user is dependent upon several factors, among which are the thickness of the beverage, the number, size, shape, placement, or angle of the aperture or apertures, and the strength of the suction applied by the user. The object of this invention is to provide a drinking straw that can provide a novel drinking experience that uses the number, size, shape, or placement of the aperture to deliver a unique sensation to the user's palate. In other words, where the strength of the suction applied by the user and the thickness of the beverage are held constant, the drinking experience from the novelty drinking straw of the current invention is predicated upon the sensation created by the number, size, shape, angle, or placement of the aperture or apertures on the mouthpiece of the drinking straw, and their manipulation by the user according to the user's preference. Unlike the device of Lee, the current invention allows the user to manipulate the sensation of the liquid flow. With Lee, the user is not allowed to manipulate the sensation of the liquid flow, but is allowed either to open or to close the device so that liquid either flows or does not flow through the straw. The liquid that passes through an end portion of the straw device of the current invention flows in a unique spray or stream of liquid to the mouth of the user. The mouthpiece of the current device may be at either end or at both ends of the straw.
By “mouthpiece” is meant the generally accepted definition of an object that in normal use is placed in the mouth, or the piece or part of an object to which the mouth is applied or that is held in the mouth. The mouthpiece of the current invention is in direct fluid communication with the mouthpiece at the opposite end of the device. The end of the straw mouthpiece of the current invention may consist of a single aperture, or may consist of multiple apertures. The multiple apertures of the current invention may be of the same shape or different shapes; the same size, or different sizes. Furthermore, the multiple apertures on the mouthpiece of this invention may be constructed at any angle, or in any position, shape, or size, and may be in any combination of shapes, position, and/or sizes. The shape of the aperture, also, may be simple or complex, for example, having a kaleidoscope-type visual effect through light refraction or through other variation in visual effect.
The current device, in its totality, may be simple or complex, i.e., shaped in a geometric form, or in the shape of a plant (vegetable, fruit, flower, tree, etc.), bird, fowl, fish, or other mammal, mineral, cartoon character, or any other object. (See FIG. 1A vs. FIG. 4A.) Since the drinking straw device can be made of any reusable material, such as plastic, silver, stainless steel, or a suitable form of paper, the exterior form of the device may be molded, brazed or welded, as appropriate, onto the exterior shaft of the straw. The material contemplated for more formal and informal, novelty table or bar straws would be manufactured of stainless steel or other hard material suitable for dining or bar use, where the material can be cleaned and sanitized for reuse in a manner similar to other cutlery or flatware. The drinking straw device alternatively can be made of a suitable candy material. The entire device may be completely edible or it may be partly edible. For example, the second end portion mouthpiece may be edible, and the first end portion mouthpiece may be edible or not. Where the second end portion mouthpiece is made of a candy material, the suctioned flow of the stream of candy-flavored liquid up and through the single aperture of the first end portion mouthpiece, through the shaft, to the aperture(s) of the second end portion mouthpiece, forms a stream or streams of the candy-flavored liquid that passes out of the second end portion aperture(s), creating a novel burst of liquid stream(s) to the palate of the user. In a more complex configuration or embodiment, the visual and olfactory sensation (as enhanced by the shape, color, taste, feel, or smell of the device) could be made to correspond with, enhance, or complement the oral sensation, as for example with FIG. 1B.
Previous efforts at developing straws were for passive entertainment or visual value alone, or they used modifications that targeted only the ends of the straw, mostly by using a rounded configuration for the mouthpiece or its aperture(s). Almost all use a rounded configuration for the internal construction of the bore, which is the cavity within the shaft of the straw. However, it is well known that shapes and images create pleasurable perceptions through their association with past experiences or known connotations. It is, therefore, another objective of the current invention to provide a sensory experience that carries through from the visual component of the drinking straw. Consequently, in addition to modifications of the external shape of the device, the drinking straw of the current device applies a modification to the internal shape of the bore. Specifically, the shape of the bore is carried through to the end portions of the straw, creating a visual experience that directly influences the intensity of the sensory perception or excitement in the drinking experience because of its association with pleasurable images. The internal shape of the bore that is carried through to the mouthpiece aperture directly influences the sensation from the drinking experience, just as the external shape of the mouthpiece and the mouthpiece aperture influence the sensation of the drinking experience. See, for example, FIGS. 1A, 1B, 4A, and 4B.
It also is an objective of this invention to create a reusable straw device that provides a more active source of entertainment. The current invention provides, then, a novel flow of liquid to the user's mouth by enhancing the variation in the intensity or sensation of the beverage flow through the use of an integral beverage flow regulator (hereafter called a regulator or flow regulator) that modifies the location or the sensation of the flow of the liquid that passes through an end portion of the straw device to the mouth of the user. Where the drinking straw device is manufactured in a plastic material that is pliable, the user simply could use his or her fingers to squeeze the device to modify or manipulate the sensation created by the device's aperture(s), creating an even more intense sensation than ordinarily would be available. However, there also is the need for a device that can alter the sensation when the material used for construction is not so pliable. In this instance, the user could use the integral flow regulator of the current invention. With the integral regulator, the user can further modify the direction of the liquid flow or modify the liquid sensation to his or her mouth by manipulating or rotating the external component of the flow regulator. At the operator's choice, the flow regulator is configured to control the number, size, shape, or angle of apertures through which the fluid flows, and thereby, the direction of the liquid flow. The valve, then, allows a change in the direction, location, or sensation of the flow of liquid without the necessity of removing and replacing the mouthpiece. Consequently, in addition to the variation in liquid flow created by the number, size, shape, angle, or placement of the apertures, then, this invention allows the user, by using a regulator, to further vary the intensity or sensation of the flow of liquid to suit the user's own preference, and/or for the region of the mouth to be targeted for the desired or selected sensation. FIG. 9C is an example of a flow regulator (valve) configured to change the desired sensation through manipulation of the device. A change in the number, size, shape, angle, or combination of apertures open or closed creates a change in the direction, intensity or sensation of the liquid in the mouth of the user. The device of the current invention with its regulator may be of one-piece or two-piece construction, and in its simplest form may be removably attached to the drinking straw, as in FIG. 5D. The regulator may be fully external, as in FIGS. 1B, 5D, and 7B, or partially internal (consist of an internal and an external component), such as with FIG. 1A, 1B, and 2C. The flow regulator is integrally constructed preferably of the same material as the straw device, and may be manufactured for placement on either or both ends of the straw device, or at any point along the straw's shaft. The introduction of a flow regulator would permit more sophisticated sensations such as a spray mist or oscillating liquid sensations. Finally, either the regulator, or a stationary protuberance constructed in the fashion of the fully external regulator, is a convenient way to demarcate the location on the straw device where the lips would rest on and encircle the mouthpiece securely. This is important since with the more complex shapes and embodiments of the device of the current invention, the location of the mouthpiece may not be readily apparent, such as with FIG. 4B.
The regulator of the current invention is, in effect, a valve that is capable of being opened and closed by the user in increments to suit the user's preference, by the user's manipulation of the external component of the regulator. A variety of valves may be utilized, including but not limited to screw-activated, diaphragm, and pinch valves. Where the regulator comprises an exterior component only, any of the clamp-type valve devices currently available in the marketplace to selectively adjust or regulate the amount of flow of liquids through flexible tubing would suffice. Where the regulator comprises an interior and an exterior component, the interior component connects, through an opening in the wall of the straw device, to the exterior component. The external component of the valve may be in the form of a dial or disk, a lever, a push-pull (tab) mechanism, or any other method for manipulation commonly found in the marketplace. The user, for example, through the use of a rotating disk on an exterior wall of the straw device, modifies the intensity or sensation of the flow of the liquid through the straw device's aperture or apertures, as the case may be. As with a conventional valve, the user modifies the liquid flow by manipulating an exterior component. Unless the regulator is manufactured specifically to use air passage to stop the flow of liquid from the bore to the mouthpiece, it is important that the external portion of the regulator or valve be constructed so that air does not enter the device at its point of attachment to the drinking straw device. The integral, adjustable beverage flow regulator may be constructed with an internally rotating disk or an internally sliding plate so as to selectively adjust, modify, or regulate the flow of liquid. The internally sliding plate may have different apertures or an aperture to enhance or complement the apertures through which the liquid normally flows to the user from the bore of the shaft to the mouthpiece of the straw device. For example, with a sliding plate, the user can open or close off the flow of liquid to the device's selected mouthpiece aperture(s). In its open or unlocked position, liquid flows unimpeded to and through the bore through the selected mouthpiece aperture(s). In its closed or locked position, no liquid flows through the mouthpiece aperture(s).
Alternatively, and for a drinking straw device with a single mouthpiece aperture, the regulator could have an external disk component and an internally rotating (adjustable) disk component with a potential for a kaleidoscope of apertures, as FIGS. 4A and 4B. The internally rotating disk component may have apertures of a single size (FIG. 2D) or of different sizes (FIG. 2B), or of the same shape (FIG. 2D) or of different shapes (FIG. 2B), with different angles, or in random (FIGS. 4C, 6A) or non-random placement, or in any combination of the foregoing attributes. As with the regulator described in, this embodiment of the regulator is constructed so that the user manipulates an external component, such as a disk, tab, clamp, screw, or lever. However, in one embodiment the component of the regulator that is constructed on an exterior wall of the device connects internally to the regulator's internally rotating disk with multiple apertures. Using the external component of the regulator, the user creates variations in sensation or intensity by modifying the types or number of apertures engaged.
In yet another embodiment of the regulator, the drinking straw device of the current invention could have a rotating arm constructed along an interior wall of the chosen mouthpiece of the device, as in FIG. 7A. The rotating arm moves along an interior wall of the mouthpiece and is capable of limiting the flow of liquid to a single aperture or to multiple apertures. In its full open position, the rotating arm would allow unimpeded flow of liquid to and through the aperture(s). The rotating arm may be constructed to close off the flow of liquid from a single aperture or from multiple apertures, depending upon the user's preference. The internally constructed rotating arm is manipulated externally by the user through any number of commercially available mechanisms, such as a lever or a screw-like appurtenance or attachment, that connect the rotating arm to the external component of the straw device.
To assist in keeping the straw sanitary when not in use, the drinking straw device may have a rigid or flexible drinking straw cover or cap, preferably made of the same material as the straw device, such as plastic or metal that fits over the external portion of the mouthpiece through a snap or screw mechanism. The drinking straw cap of the current invention, however, is a drinking straw cap regulator; it is removably attached to the straw device, and is removable at the user's whim. The cap regulator has an improved functionality. That is, the cap regulator has multiple apertures, thereby being capable of further altering the flow of liquid from the selected end of the straw or of the selected mouthpiece that it covers, as in FIG. 1B. In this embodiment, the cap becomes an alternative or supplemental mouthpiece, the straw device preferably being of two-piece construction.
As the user sips from the straw device of the current invention, the rush of liquid from the first end portion of the straw device to the palate through strategically- or randomly-placed aperture or apertures in the chosen mouthpiece provides a new experience for the user, who receives a novel drinking sensation through a burst (meaning a single stream of liquid breaks apart to become a multiple stream) of liquid that is exciting, yet sensually pleasing to the palate and desires of the user.
The drinking straw of the current invention can be made from any suitable fibrous on non-fibrous material, such as metal, hard or flexible tubing, plastic, resin, and a suitable, reusable paper product. The present invention can be manufactured for use separately, or can be manufactured for use as an integral part of a novelty container.
Furthermore, the invention may be manufactured so that the selected mouthpiece of the device is either fixed or movable. Whether the selected mouthpiece of the current invention is fixed or movable, when in use both ends of the straw device are in direct fluid communication with each other. In one embodiment of its movable form, the mouthpiece of the straw device is retractable, capable of being extended and retracted at the desire of the user, such as in FIGS. 4B and 5A. This feature of the current invention allows a greater variety of novelty straws to be manufactured, since the shape of the mouthpiece of the more complex-shaped device may be uncomfortable to place entirely in one's mouth without an extendable/retractable feature. The user simply holds the straw with the fingers of one hand, and using the fingers of the second hand, manipulates the straw device such that, in effect, the straw device lengthens. The user, then, positions the smaller component of the mouthpiece (hereinafter called a supplemental mouthpiece) for more convenient use. In another embodiment of the device, the movable mouthpiece may be rotated for the purpose of opening or closing the aperture(s), as described above. In all of the embodiments above, however, the user places his or her mouth around the second end portion mouthpiece, sips the liquid which flows through the aperture of the first end portion mouthpiece. Where the second end portion mouthpiece consists of multiple apertures, the liquid continues to move up and through the shaft to the second end portion mouthpiece, and out through the second end portion mouthpiece apertures, sending multiple streams of liquid to the mouth of the user, and creating a novel sensation as the single stream of liquid passes through the multiple apertures as separate streams of liquid.
In another effort to improve the comfort of utilizing the straw of the current invention which may take any number of forms, the device has a new feature called a lip rest. The lip rest is a circular protuberance, preferably, made of the same material as the drinking straw device, and has a circumference that is slightly less than the circumference of the second end portion mouthpiece at its widest point. The lip rest encircles and is attached to the exterior wall of the shaft. The lip rest, in essence, is a ledge upon and above which the lip of the user comfortably rests to form a tight seal with the shaft, when the user's mouth is placed around the second end portion mouthpiece. In some embodiments of the current invention, the external portion of the regulator may function as a lip rest, as well.
Any portion of the current invention may be enlarged (bulbous), in the shape of a geometric figure, plant, animal, mineral, cartoon character, or of any other object. The drinking straw device of the current invention may be substantially straight or may be bent into any other suitable shape that still allows fluid to pass through the bore. The bore may have a consistent inside diameter/perimeter, or the inside diameter/perimeter of the bore may taper off at either end. The inside diameter/perimeter of the bore may be equal to, greater than, or less than the inside diameter/perimeter of the aperture at either end of the device. The outside dimensions of the drinking straw device may vary, and the location of the bore within the shaft of the device may be centered or not.
One challenge of the current invention is to create a novel drinking straw device of different outside features, dimensions, shapes and/or sizes without sacrificing the draw (suctioning capability) of the device. For example, the internal area of the selected mouthpiece where it connects with the upper end of the bore must remain in direct fluid communication with the opposite mouthpiece, and not be so large as to dissipate the liquid's flow more than desired. To prevent this, the straw device may be integrally formed by molding, brazing, or welding the desired shape around the exterior of the straw's shaft in order to maintain the desired flow of liquid to the mouthpiece. This would remove the likelihood that the draw or sensation would be dissipated unintentionally by the shape of the device.
As a separately purchased straw device, the present invention can become a standard piece of cutlery or flatware used in formal or informal indoor and outdoor dining settings, depending upon the material used for manufacturing the device. Sterling silver, stainless steel, or other metals are the preferable material for use in formal and informal indoor and outdoor dining settings. One advantage of the current invention is that in its simplest and most elegant configuration, it can be cleaned and sanitized for reuse in a fashion similar to other cutlery. Another objective of the current invention is to provide a straw device that would be suitable as the fourth piece of cutlery (or flatware as it may be called), along with the knife, fork, and spoon. Furthermore, the current invention could be used as chopsticks are used, but with the added functionality of a device where both liquid and solid contents may be enjoyed using one standard utensil, as with FIGS. 6A and 6B.
The straw of the current invention is also suitable for use as a novelty confection. Lollipops are solid, hard candy or they contain “treats” that have been stored within the body cavity of the candy. With the current invention, the straw device is made of lollipop confection of any flavor. The instant confectionery straw can itself flavor a beverage through which the user sips the liquid.
In the confectionery form of the current invention, the drinking straw can be entirely edible, or only partially edible, depending upon the composition of the materials used to support the confection. The normally jaded lollipop user will have a novel confection that also can be used in a new and different way—to increase their pleasurable drinking experience as the device dissolves into, and blends with, their favorite beverage. For example, where the second end portion mouthpiece of the current invention is a confection, stirring it in the beverage imparts some of it to the surrounding fluid, particularly where the beverage is hot or warm in temperature. When the confectionery second end portion mouthpiece is in the mouth, however, the user's saliva will more efficiently dissolve the confection into the user's mouth, so the user receives both the taste of the beverage and the taste of the confection on his or her taste buds. More specifically, when in use as a confectionery device, the second end portion mouthpiece is in direct fluid communication with the aperture of the first end portion mouthpiece, so that a suctioned flow of the stream of liquid up and through the aperture of the first end portion mouthpiece, through the bore, through the plurality of apertures of the second end portion mouthpiece, forms separate streams of the flavored liquid that passes out of the second end apertures, creating a novel burst of multiple liquid flavored streams to the palate of the user. With the current invention, then, the liquid mixes with the candy flavor of the second end portion mouthpiece prior to entering the mouth of the user. Before this invention, the flavor of the candy mixed with the liquid after the liquid entered the mouth of the user, rather than before the liquid entered the mouth of the user. Alternatively, with the current invention the user may chose to suck on the candy second end portion even without using it to imbibe a beverage.
The drinking straw of the current invention would be suitable for adults as a singular, novelty gift item, as a bar straw, or as souvenirs, favors, or commemoratives, for example, at wedding receptions. Children also will be delighted to carry their own private drinking straws of the present invention, which are shaped in the form of a bracelet. The drinking straw bracelet is preferably made of a pliable material, such as plastic, that can be flexed to form a circular configuration (FIGS. 1A, 1B) on a drinking container (not pictured), or around the child's arm (not pictured). The drinking straw is preferably in a novelty shape, such as an land animal (FIG. 2B), aquatic animal (FIG. 2C), plant (FIGS. 5A-D), or a cartoon character (FIG. 8). In any of these and other embodiments such as a Christmas tree, or a carrot or celery stick, the straw can be made from single or multiple colors for carrying and use, for example, at amusement parks. or for children as a party favor, for example, at a child's birthday party.